Fresh Pomegranate and Orange Juice

CSA member Mary Herrmann sent us the following recipe.  She says, “I look forward to the pomegranates each year since I found this recipe that I love. I have taken a pitcher to Thanksgiving and have seen it disappear faster than the wine. Hope you like it, too.”

From Cooking at the Kasbah, by Kitty Morse.

(Hassir Romman B’Limmoun)

Many gardens in Morocco include at least one pomegranate bush. The ruby-red seeds of the romman, as the fruit is known in Arabic, are usually eaten out of hand. Sometimes, Moroccan mothers welcome their children home from school with a refreshing glass of pomegranate-orange drink.

1 pomegranate
¼ cup water
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons orange-flower water
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Collect the pomegranate seeds. In a blender or a juicer, puree them with the water. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve or cheesecloth, pressing the purée with the back of a large soon to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a container and stir in the orange juice and orange-flower water. Serve over ice cubes and garnish with a mint sprig.

I like to collect the pomegranate seeds and freeze them until I have enough to make a larger batch. I have made up to 8 times the recipe for a pitcher for a party.